Laundry machine



' March 3, 1970 J. J. MILLER ET AL LAUNDRY MACHINE Filed June 28l 1968 JOHN JOSEPH MILLER AGENT March 3, 19-'10 Filed June 28, 1968 J. J. MILLER ETAL- LAUNDRY MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNvENToRs WILLIAM BEEBE JOHN Jo H MILLER AGENT LAUNDRY MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 28, 1968 WILLIAM B.

JOHN JOSEPH AGENT vUnited States Patent() 3,498,089 LAUNDRY MACHINE John Joseph Miller, Norwood, and William B. Beebe, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignors to McGraw-Edison Company, Elgin, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 28, 1968, Ser. No. 740,904 Int. Cl. D06f 37/10 U.S. Cl. 68-139 8 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A laundry machine usable as a washer and extractor or as a dry cleaning machine has a rotatable drum mounted within a surrounding cylindrical casing both of which are open at one end for loading and unloading the machine. The opening of the casing has a door pivoted about a fixed axis for simple swinging movement laterally of the opening between open and closed position. An angle iron turned inwardly along one-half of the opening engages a radial flange on the leading one-half portion of the door and another angle iron turned outwardly along the remaining one-half of the opening engages an inner ange on the other one-half of the door to lock the door along its entire circumference to the casing as the door is closed. A pneumatic sealing ring is inflated after the door is closed to seal the door to the casing and to secure the door in closed position by the clamping pressure of the door against the angle irons.

The invention relates particularly to large commercial laundry machines adapted to operate as washer-extractors and/or as washer-extractor-dryers, but no unnecessary limitation to such commercial laundry machines is intended.

An object of the invention is to provide a `door construction for a laundry machine which is simple, durable and economical.

Another object is to provide a door construction for a laundry machine which permits the door to swing sidewise of the opening in simple rotary movement into an engagement with the casing locking the door thereto around its entire circumference.

Another object is to provide such door construction with an inflatable sealing ring adapted to hermetically seal the `door to the casing and to secure the door in locked position when the sealing ring is inflated.

These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

In the description of our invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a laundry machine according to the invention, showing the door in open position;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the laundry machine showing by dash-dot lines the tilted positions of the machine for loading and unloading;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the laundry machine in operating position;

FIGURE 4 is a fractional sectional view on a diameter line of the door taken from the line 4--4 of FIGURE 3 and showing the sealing ring in inflated condition;

FIGURE 5 is a view of the lower portion of FIGURE 4 to larger scale showing the sealing ring in its deated condition; and

FIGURE 6` is a diagrammatic View of the pneumatic control system for the laundry machine.

The present laundry machine has a rectangular base 10 on which is mounted a supporting structure 11 of a pyramidal shape as viewed from the side (FIGURE 2).

, 3,498,089 Patented Mar. 3, 1970 The supporting structure has a cut-out 12 therethrough of a frusto-conical shape (FIGURE l) for receiving the laundry tub or casing 13 of the machine. This casing is of a cylindrical shape having side trunions 14 at its rear end journaled in bearings 15 bolted to the top faces of the supporting structure 11. Secured to the back wall of the casing is a rearwardly extending bracket 16 carrying bearings 17 and 18 at its inner and outer ends. Journaled in these bearings is a Shaft 19 for a cylindrical washerdryer drum 20 in the casing 13 (FIGURES l and 2). The back wall of the drum has a hub 21 to which the shaft 19 is secured to support the drum from one end only. The front wall 22 of the drum fractionally shown in FIGURE 4 is coned and provided with a central opening 23 the edge of which is curled forming a bead 24. The periphery of the drum comprises perforated panel sections 25 and inwardly projecting perforated ribs 26 for tumbling the laundry as the drum is rotated. The drum is rotated by motor 27 on the bracket 16 coupled by a belt 28 to one end of a jack shaft 29. The jack shaft is journaled in a bearing 30 bolted to the bracket 16 through a spacer frame 31. The other end of the jack shaft is coupled in stepped-down relation to the drum shaft 19 by a series of feeds belts encased in a protective guard 32.

The casing 13 is normally supported in its horizontal or operating position shown in FIGURE 2 by means of a pneumatic cylinder 33 pivotally connected at 34 to the base 10 and having a piston rod 35 pivoted at 36 to the bracket 16. By drawing the piston inwardly the casing is tilted upwardly into its loading position indicated by dash-dot lines 37, and by propelling the piston outwardly the casing is tilted downwardly into its unloading position shown by dash-dot lines 438. The loading and unloading is via a circular opening 39 in the front end wall 40* of the casing which is in registry with the opening 23 in the end wall of the drum. The edge of the opening 39 is rigidied by being formed outwardly into a channel shape having a seating flange 39a for a sealing ring herein later described.

When the laundry machine is used as a dryer it has flexible inlet and outlet ducts connected thereto one of which is indicated at 41 in FIGURE l. These ducts are connected to the casing via triangular-shaped fittings 42 secured as by welding to the periphery of the casing at the opposite sides thereof. A water inlet may be led into the casing va a support arm 43 of a front door 44 for the casing or, alternatively, through the wall of the casing. Drainage of the casing is effected via a downwardly inclined fitting -45 at the bottom of the casing and a flexible outlet tube `46 connected to this fitting The door 44 is formed of aluminum as by casting with a thick circular rim 47 and an inset panel 48. Bolted to the central portion of the panel V48 is a circular hub 49 to which is welded the support arm 43. The support arm is of a decreasing width and of increasing thickness proceeding from the door to its outer end. The outer end of the arm is secured to a shaft 50 which is pivoted in a block ,S1 mounted on an upper right-hand portion of the casing 13. The medial plane of the support arm 43 is 45 from the vertical when the door is closed (FIGURE 3) and is horizontal when the door is open (FIGURE l). A cylinder 52 is pivoted to a bracket 53 at the top of the casing and has a piston rod 54 pivoted to the upper half of the arm 43 for shifting the door in simple rotary movement between open and closed position.

The leading one-half portion of the rim 47 of the door has a radial flange 55 at its outer edge for engaging the underside of a ilange 56 of an arcuate angle iron 57 on the casing along the corresponding one-half portion of the opening 39 when the door is closed. Also, the trailing one-half portion of the rim 47 of the door is formed with a flange 58 on its inner side which is inset from the plane of the leading ange 55 and directed radially inwardly of the door for engaging the underside of a flange 59 of an arcuate angle iron 60 on the casing along the corresponding one-half portion of the opening 3'9 when the door is closed. These locking engagements occur responsive to a simple uniplanar movement of the door about its pivot 50 and serve to secure the door along its entire circumference to the casing against outward movement. On the inside wall of the rim 47 of the door circumferentially Within the anges 55 and 58 is a circular groove 61 undercut along its side edges. Seated in this groove is a circular sealing ring l62 of a hollow inflatable type having a rib `63 on its outer Wall. When this sealing ring is not inflated it assumes a collapsed state as shown in FIGURE 5. It is while the sealing ring is in such collapsed state that the door 44 is swung between its open and closed positions. After the door is closed the sealing ring is inflated by air pressure from a suitable source 64 (diagrammatically indicated in FIGURE 6) via a tube 65 leading along the arm 43 of the door and through the rim 47 at 66 as shown in FIGURE 3.

The door 44 and sealing ring l61 may be controlled for example by a fluid pressure system such as is shown in FIGURE 6. This system comprises a hydraulic valve 67 having an inlet 68 connected to a hydraulic source 75 and having two outlets 69 and 70 connected to opposite ends of the cylinder 52. The valve 67 assumes normally a position for feeding hydraulic pressure to the inner end of the cylinder 52 to hold the door 44 open. Upon closing a manual slide switch 71 to connect a solenoid 72 of the valve 67 to a source of voltage 73, diagrammatically indicated, this valve is operated to connect the hydraulic source 75 to the outer end of the cylinder 52 to close the door.

The sealing ring `61 is connected via the tube 65 and air valve 74 to the source 64. The air valve 74 assumes normally a position for cutting oi air supply to the sealing ring. This air Valve is operable by a solenoid 76 connected to the voltage source 73 by an electric circuit including in series the manual slide switch 71 and a normally open switch 77 mounted on the front wall 40 of the casing in position to be operated closed by the support arm 43 as the door is closed. As the manual slide switch 71 is pressed closed to close lthe door in the manner above-descirbed the v4valve 74 remains momentarily open because of the switch 77 being open to prevent operation of the solenoid 7'6. However, when the door reaches its closed position switch 77 is closed to activate the solenoid 76 and shift the valve 74 to apply air pressure to the sealing ring. The resultant inflating of the sealing ring causes the ring to engage the bead 39a -under pressure whereby to provide a hermetic seal between the door and the casing and to hold the door clamped against the anges 56 and 59 so that it cannot be opened. Conversely, as the manual slide switch 71 is opened the solenoid 76 is released to cause the valve 74 to Ibe shifted to cut o air pressure to the sealing ring and to deflate the sealing ring as by opening a vent 74V, and concurrently the solenoid 72 is released to cause the valve 67 to be shifted to apply hydraulic pressure to the inner end of the cylinder 52 to swing the door open the instant the clamping pressure of the sealing ring is removed.

The embodiment of our invention herein particularly shown and described is intended to be illustrative and not necessarily limitative of our invention since the same is subject to changes and modifications without departure from the scope of our invention which We endeavor to express according to the following claims.

We claim:

1. A laundry machine comprising an internal rotatable drum having an opening at one end, an outer casing having a circular opening in registry with the opening of the drum, an exterior door having a rim overlapping the edge of the opening in said casing, mounting means for said door comprising a shaft journaled on an axis parallel with the journal axis of said drum and an arm on said door rigidly connected to said shaft perimtting the door to be swung laterally of said opening in uniplanar movement between open and closed positions, an arcuate angle iron on said casing along one-half of said opening having a ange in spaced parallel -relation to the adjacent wall of the casing directed towards the opening for engaging the rim of the leading one-half portion of said door to lock the door against outward movement along its leading onehalf portion when the door is closed, the rim of the remaining portion of said do-or having a radially inwardly extending iiange spaced from the inner wall of the door, an arcuate angle iron on said casing along the remaining one-half portion of said opening having a liange in spaced parallel relation to the adjacent wall of the casing directed away from the opening for engaging said inner flange on said door to lock the door against outward movement along its trailing half portion when the door is colsed, and a sealing ring on the inner wall of the door for engaging said adjacent wall of the casing to seal the door in hermetic relation to said casing.

2. The laundry machine set forth in claim 1 wherein said sealing ring is of the inflatable type, including means for feeding uid pressure to said ring, and means for controlling said feeding means including a control device on said casing operated by said door as the door reaches closed position.

3. In a laundry machine having a casing provided with a circular opening: the combination of an exterior door for said opening, means mounting said door on said casing for uniplanar movement in directions laterally of said opening between an open position and a closed position wherein the door overlies said opening, and means for locking said door against outward movement from said casing when the door is closed comprising a iirst radially outwardly directed rim flange on the leading one-half portion of said door, a tirst flange on said casing along a corresponding one-half portion of said opening for engaging said outwardly directed rim flange as said door is closed, a second radially inwardly directed rim iiange on a trailing one-half portion of said door inset from the plane of said leading rim iiange, and a second flange on said casing along the remaining one-half portion of said opening for engaging said inwardly directed rim iiange along the remaining one-half of the circumference'of the door as the door is closed.

4. The laundry machine set forth in claim 3 wherein said mounting means for said door comprises a shaft journaled on said casing, and a support arm rigidly securing said door to said shaft for directing the door in a uniplanar swinging movement between open and closed positions.

5. The laundry machine set forth in claim 3 including an angle iron secured to said casing along a one-half portion of said opening having said first flange spaced from the Wall of the casing and directed toward said opening for engaging the outer face of said lirst rim fiange of said door as the door is closed, and an angle iron secured to said casing along the remaining one-half portion of said opening having said second flange spaced from the wall of the casing and directed away from said opening for engaging the outer face of said second rim flange of said door as the door is closed.

`6. The laundry machine set forth in claim 3 wherein said casing has a rim surrounding said opening parallel with the uniplanar movement of said door, including a sealing ring mounted on the inside wall of said door Within the circumference of said rim flanges, said sealing ring being inflatable after said door is closed for engaging said rim of said casing to seal the door hermetically to said casing and to exert clamping pressure on the door to hold the door in closed position.

7. The laundry machine set forth in claim 6 including fluid pressure means for shifting said door between open and closed positions, a manual control for said fluid pressure means, and means rendered operable by said manual control as the same is operated to close said door and rendered operative by said door as the door reaches closed position for feeding iluid pressure to said sealing ring.

8. The laundry machine set forth in claim 6 including a hydraulic cylinder for shifting said door between open and closed positions, a solenoidal hydraulic valve for controlling said hydraulic cylinder, a rst manual operable switch for controlling said solenoidal hydraulic valve, a solenoidal air valve for controlling air pressure to said sealing ring, a second control switch operated by said door :is the door reaches closed position, and an electrical control circuit for said solenoidal air valve serially including switches to be operated to supply air pressure to said sealing ring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,639,601 5/1953 Miller 68-139 3,103,450 9/1963 .IansOn 68-139 X 3,116,903 1/ 1964 Grantham 68-210 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,266,889 6/1961 France.

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

said first and second switches to require both of said 15 68-210 

